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Sculpey functional question(s)

Greetings,

I'm a complete newbie at sculpting, and have created only a couple personal items (for myself or gifts) so far. I've learned through trial and mostly error about techniques and clay -- and have done some research online. But one thing I cannot find and really need to ask those who are far more adept and skilled than I am: how do you repair it?

I began with just original Sculpey. I've now learned to use a stronger version, but that doesn't mean I want to lose the creations I've made so far. The first had broken arms, fingers, neck, etc... I've had to glue it back on, but no glue seems to work well. I also covered it with a "Mod Podge" finish to try to strengthen or protect it prior to painting, but a single tear of that just strips it off like fabric... and takes the paint with it.

Now, the latest creation is a gift -- and it's baked, but not painted yet. From now on, I'll use the less weak versions of the clay, but I really don't want to have to redo the whole thing. The dress is already cracked and the foot has fallen off. I tried to glue it with a "Stik'n Seal" waterproof superglue-like adhesive, to no avail.

So, I am stuck with two questions: 1) what can I use to best bond the pieces of original Sculpey, polymer clay, that fall off -- to repair it? And, 2) is there a way to protect and strengthen it before painting -- like the "Mod Podge" sealer? I need the thing to survive a packaging and mailing to my friend, the recipient of the gift (it's supposed to be her). And even if I can properly repair it, it would be marvelous to strengthen or seal or protect it against future breaks as best as possible.

Please help? I've uploaded an image, complete without foot (sorry about the pun).

Thanks in advance to those I admire and from whom I want to learn,
Shannon

For starters, when creating a sculpture I'd recommend using an armature. I prefer using metal wire with Super Sculpey (and just about everything else really). If you plan on making your figure 3 inches long in any direction or the model has appendages I'd highly recommend using some kind of armature. I reckon that would have prevented the foot from coming off.

If your model has cracks make sure you oven is set at the right temperature. Get an accurate external thermometer if you suspect—and you should—that your oven's dial is inaccurate. Also don't forget that you may need to bake a layer of Sculpey at a time if your model is more than 1/4" thick on each side (so a total thickness of 1/2 might be okay). And don't bake for too long or too hot because that will damage it as well.

As for fixing cracks, use some kind of epoxy (those two-part glues that you mix together). I have some generic clear epoxy that I use for everything, and if I didn't know any better I'd use it for that too. The Sculpey website suggests Plumber´s Putty for cracks. For breaks they suggest Victory 1990 by Bond Adhesives and FPC Corporation's FPC 9000. Be sure to score (scratch) the surfaces you are going to glue. Then sand off the excess once it's cured.

Remember that it's not going to be as strong anymore now that's it's broken and repaired, so there's always going to be a risk of it breaking again more easily if it receives similar abuse.

If you are still not satisfied with the strength of Sculpey, you can try making molds from your sculptures and then use a true hard-core 2-part plastic for casting. The best place to get those are from Smooth-On. It isn't for the faint of heart, but if you want strong plastic models casting is the way to go. When you have the finished mold you can make copies too :).

I've only used Sculpey for 3D scanning and working out designs, so I haven't painted on it yet, but from what I understand there's not a whole lot you need—or can do to prime the surface with something that will make the model stronger before painting. You can use a finish to protect the acrylic paint, but other than that I can't think of anything else that will help once the model is done and cured.

Dear Metsys;

Thank you for your great help!

I think I've made headway. I wire-cut the end off of a small safety pin so it was a thin metal piece, sharp at both ends. I inserted this into both pieces (the second was tricky since I could only make one hole and had to line it up just so at the same time as I was impaling it!) I used a Krazy glue that bonds with metal as well as the clay to help secure the thin metal from the inside as it went in.

Then I used the two-part epoxy you mentioned to finish the bond. Her right leg is now stronger than her other one, I think! I then used that same epoxy as the crack sealer for her dress and it worked fantastically for that, as well -- I bought some Plummer's putty to try it out, but it "never hardens" (according to its own description) and doesn't stick well to the clay. I'm sure it's a great waterproof sealer, but it didn't seem to help bond, strengthen or protect the clay from anything but water. Perhaps just prior to painting, to make it waterproof, I will give it a go.

The epoxy seems to settle in liquid form to a smoother finish than I expected, too, evening out the cracks and crumbling edges I feared I'd never be able to repair around the break -- and evened the crack in the dress as though it doesn't exist, without me doing anything yet to balance it out! I'm going to use the epoxy tomorrow to lay a light seal over the entire piece, because I also noticed on a test piece that acryllic paint directly on original Sculpey can be scraped off with a mere accidental swipe of a fingernail! But where the epoxy set, acryllic paint is permanent and unmovable as the glue itself. So, I'm sealing it next, then painting finally! (Should I be doing something as a "topcoat" or "finish" after the acryllic paint?)

I think you're right about my oven. It's a new apartment and new appliance. And the piece is thick in some areas while thin in others. Probably under- and over-baked. Next time, I will do it as you suggest with both the layering and the stronger clay. (I worry about the armature since I change my mind drastically on the pieces after an initial form has been set, but I'll give that a whirl, too, if I can. I'm here to learn.)

The verdict at this point? The metal insert, Krazy glue and particularly the two-part epoxy worked beautifully, and I am very happily surprised at the result so far. So, all in all -- no surprise here -- you offered a fantastic suggestion!

Thank you so much; I'm so glad I asked the experts!
Shannon